Parcel-handler



(No Mode1\ J" C. LOURYi-Jr. 8v J- H. DOYLE.

PARCEL HANDLER. No. 426,830. Patented Apr. 29, 1890.

UNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSIAH C. LOURY, JR., AND .I AMES H. DOYLE, OF HUNTERSVILLE, VESTVIRGINIA.

PARCEL-HANDLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 426,830, dated April 29,1890.

l Application filed January 6, 1890. Serial No. 335,959. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, .IOSIAH C. LOURY, Jr.. and JAMES H. DOYLE, citizensof the United States, residing at Huntersville, in the county ofPocahontas and State of Vest Virginia, have invented a new and usefulParcel-Handler, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to store-service apparatus for handling lightmerchandise, more `particularly of 4that class which is adapted tooperate upon parcels of light weight and of moderate size which may havebeen placed or are to be placed upon an upper or high shelf. v l

The invention consists of an upright handle, a supporting-plate securedto the upper end thereof and having a thin front edge, and an expellingdevice moving outwardly along said plate and operated by a lever whichis carried down by and pivoted to the handle at its lower end, all aswill be hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of ourimproved parcel-han dler in its normal position. Fig. 2 is a similarview showing it as it is used in the operation of placing the parcelupon a high shelf. Fig. 3 is a detached front elevation of the lever andframe. Figli is a plan View of the blade.

Referring by letter to the said drawings, H represents a handle, and B ablade secured to the upper end thereof and projecting forwardlytherefrom, the front end of said blade being approximately a straightedge which is very thin. The rear end ofsaid blade projects slightly byits point of connection with the upper end of the handle, (which may beby means of a dovetail or any other suitable device,) and at its rearend the blade is preferably connected with the handle by an inclinedbrace-rod R, as shown in the drawings, whereby a downward pressure uponthe projecting part of the blade will cause an upward movement of therear end of the blade, and this latter movement will be resisted by thebrace.

At a point suitably near the lower end of the handle an arm A projectsforwardly therefrom and is bifurcated or vertically slotted at its frontend, and pivoted in this sloten a bolt O is a lever L, which follows thehandle H and passes through a longitudinal slot b in the blade B. Thislever is held 'normally in the position shown in Fig. l by aspring S,located, preferably, where shown, and which exerts a gentle force todraw the upper arm of the lever inwardly. The lower end ofthe handle iscut away, as at h, and the lower end of the lever, as at Z, whereby whenthese two respective lower ends are brought together the handle will bethrown in its extreme outward position to a point just short of theouter end of the slot b, whereby the shock of operating the lever andthe force applied thereto will not cause a destruction of the parts ofthe device.

The upper end of the lever L is provided with a head D, having ahorizontal slot d across its face, as shown in Fig. l, and a frame F,composed of stiff wire bent, preferably, into a rectangular form, asshown in Fig. 3, is secured to the lever by being seated in said slot band in' a similar slot'in the front edge of the handle by staples s, orby any other suitable means. The lower member of the frame is so placedthat when the lever is in its norlnal position, as shown in Fig. l, thismember will stand just below the lower face of the plate at the innerend of the slot b, and when the lever moves outwardly around the pivot Oof course this lower member will be carried downwardly from the plateand the upper member of the frame, which is secured in the head D, issufficiently high above the plate so that it will not be brought intocontact therewith at any time, while the two side arms or members ofthis frame pass loosely by the edge of the plate and connect the upperand lower members, whereby the frame F incloses the blade B. The head Dis preferably of considerable size, as shown in the drawings.

In operation, when it is desired to remove a parcel-such as a small boxor package-from a high or an upper shelf, this device is taken from ahook upon which it may be hung, raised by its handle, and its sharp edge,slid over the shelf and under the parcel, the tendency of the latter toslide back upon the shelf being resisted by its coming in contact withthe wall or the rear edge 0f the shelf. The device is then raised atriie and, if need IOO be, tipped backwardly, so that the parcel willslide down against the frame, andthen the device and with it the parcelare lowered to within convenient reach of the operator. The reversal ofthis operation is effected by placing the parcel to be put on a highshelf upon the plate and in contact with the frame, then elevating thewhole device and resting the lower front edge of the plate upon theshelf at the desired point, and then imparting a pressure to the lever Lbelow its pivotal point. This pressure will throw the frame F and head Dquickly forward and force the parcel to slide along the plate and moveoff of its front end onto the shelf. In both operations, and while thedevice with the parcel is being raised and lowered, it is inclined fromits point of support backwardly from the shelves, so that the weight ofthe parcel will be almost exactly in a vertical line over such pointwhen it rests against the front face of the frame.

Our improved parcel-handler is preferably constructed of some light andstrong material-such, for instance, as hard wood-and is preferablymanufactured in three sizes and with varying length of handle.

A considerable departure in the details of construction can be made fromthe description above without affecting the principles of thisinvention, and, without limiting ourselves, therefore, to the precisearrangement and shape of the several parts, what we claim 1s*- l. In aparcel-handler, the combination, with the upright handle and thesharp-edged blade rigidly secured at right angles thereto, of a frameinclosing said blade, and means, substantially as described, for movingsaid frame outwardly along said blade, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a parcel-handler, the combination,

with the upright handle and the sharp-edged blade secured to the upperend thereof and projecting forwardly therefrom, said blade having alongitudinal slot, of the lever pivoted near its lower end to aprojection from the handle, passing near its upper end through saidslot, and provided with a head, the lower inner faces of said handle andlever being beveled, so that the upper end of the handle will not strikethe outer end of the slot, and a spring for holding the lever normallyin retracted position, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a parcel-handler, the combination, with the uprighthandle andtheblade secured to the upper end thereof and projecting forwardlytherefrom, said blade having a longitudinal slot, of the lever pivotedto the handle, a spring for holding said lever normally in retractedposition, and a frame secured to the upper end of said lever andinclosing said blade, as and for the purpose set forth.,

4. ln a parcel-handler, the combination, with the upright handle and thesharp-edged blade secured to the upper end thereof and projectingforwardly therefrom, said blade having a longitudinal slot, ofthe leverpivoted near its lower end to a projecting arm of the handle, a springfor holding said lever normally in a retracted position, and a framesecured to the upper end of said lever and inclosing the body of saidblade, as and for the purpose set forth. 4

In testimony that we claim the foregoing' as our own we have heretoaffixed oursignatures in presence of two witnesses.

J OSIAH C. LOURY, JR. JAMES II. DOYLE.

Vitnesses:

WILLIAM CURRY, AMos BURLow.

